by Rev. Regis Cummings
The first gathering of the Christian Meditation Group at Christ Episcopal Church on State Street in Montpelier was on July 10, 1989. Twenty-five years later, we are still meeting Mondays from 12 noon until 1 p.m. Many individuals from various faith visions have graced our gatherings, meditating in silence.
The rediscovery of imageless meditation in the Christian tradition was the work of Benedictine Monk John Main OSB, whose teaching we follow. We are part of the worldwide Christian Meditation Group which began in Montreal (Quebec) in the 1970s. That group has inspired a worldwide movement that gives witness to the Spirit of Love which surrounds us in recognizing the Oneness of the other who invites us to know.
The format of the group is to gather, listen to a short reflection, then meditate for 30 minutes using a mantra, followed by a question and answer personal reflection.
As one of the members of the group wrote recently, “My Higher Power is Love. Since I joined the meditation group, it seems my conscious contacts with my Higher Power have improved exponentially. Consequently, my ability to love unconditionally has grown; though it is only recently that I have felt I was able to tap into sharing the Love of God as part of that expression. This enables me to love unselfishly and not lose my own capability. I know, this sounds delusional; but nonetheless I feel it is true. I guess … time will tell. The gift I received is the Present Moment. Even the minute dies. The best way I have learned to live it is to keep opening my heart to Love myself and others. The meditation group is helping me to do just that!”
